Why do we bother to measure time in days, months and years?
Why are there so many ways of measuring time? In a paragraph, of between four and six lines, explain why there are so many different calendars in the world.
What are at least two things that these calendars seem to have in common?
What are at least two major differences between the different calendars described?
According to the Muslim and Jewish calendars, what year were you born in?
Wouldn't it be simpler if there was just one, single calendar that applied to everyone? You could consider this as a class debate with teams of three debating the pros and cons of the concept. Normal debating rules apply. So that everyone can be involved, small groups could help prepare arguments that are then presented by selected speakers. Alternatively, each student could take a position on this statement and give their own view with supporting arguments.
Matariki: The Maori New Year
Refer to the material on Matariki available from Te Ara to help you complete these activities.
In Maori what does Matariki mean?
What are some of the explanations given for the origins of the cluster of stars associated with the Maori New Year?
In traditional times what did Maori acknowledge with the arrival of Matariki?
How did Matariki affect Maori farming?
What role do kites (pakau) play in Maori celebrations of Matariki?
Celebrating Matariki
At the beginning of the 21st century Matariki celebrations were revived. Festivals organised to celebrate Matariki have grown in size: a Hawke’s Bay festival attracted 500 people in 2000. Three years later 15,000 people came. Te Rangi Huata, who helped organise these festivals in Hastings, believes that Matariki is becoming more popular because it celebrates Maori culture and in doing so brings together all New Zealanders. He compares it to the American holiday of Thanksgiving or Halloween ‘except it’s a celebration of the Maori culture here in (Aotearoa) New Zealand. It’s New Zealand's Thanksgiving.’
The increasing popularity of Matariki has led some to suggest that it should replace Queen's Birthday as a public holiday. What do you think?
Imagine you are an adviser for the Department of Labour. This government department is responsible for administering the Holidays Act 2003. You have been asked to write a paper for the minister of labour and the prime minister. They will use this paper to give Cabinet information to help it discuss the benefits and disadvantages of replacing the existing public holiday of Queen’s Birthday with a day to celebrate Matariki. 1. Your task is to:a. Outline at least three advantages for New Zealand if the existing public holiday of Queen’s Birthday was replaced with a day to celebrate Matariki. You must explain why you believe this decision would be of benefit to New Zealand. For instance: One advantage is that a public holiday to celebrate Matariki would be an acknowledgement of New Zealand’s first settlers. b. Outline at least three disadvantages for New Zealand if the Queen’s Birthday holiday was replaced by Matariki. You must explain to the ministers why you believe this decision would be bad for New Zealand. For instance: Other ethnic groups in New Zealand might demand that their New Year should also become a public holiday, such as Chinese New Year. Where will it stop? c. In no more than 150 words, you must advise your ministers which argument to support and the reasons why you believe this action should be taken, i.e. to replace Queen’s Birthday with Matariki or not. They will be expecting you to give them answers to some possibly tricky questions raised by those who might disagree, so consider this in your final advice. 2. Alternatively: You could use the issue as a topic for an editorial that might appear in your local newspaper.
It is the start of Matariki and your newspaper is presenting a feature looking back at the history of the Maori New Year and its place in our national calendar. Write an editorial, of no more than 200 words, expressing your views on whether or not the time has come to replace the Queen’s Birthday public holiday with Matariki. Consider issues like the general history of these two events and whether it is now time to develop something new to move New Zealand through the 21st century. Or is it more important to retain traditional links with our past?
Have a look at some examples of editorials to get a sense of the style of writing.
These can be read out to the rest of the class or published as a class booklet that all can read. If your school has a school-wide focus for Matariki, a selection of these arguments could be presented at a school or syndicate assembly. 3. Better yet, try a class debate. You could consider this as a class debate with teams of three debating the pros and cons of the idea. Normal debating rules apply. Small groups could help prepare arguments that are then presented by selected speakers to ensure all can be involved. ==A school-wide celebration of Matariki==
You and your classmates could organise a school-wide celebration of Matariki. As a class you could brainstorm ideas for activities the school could participate in. For instance, you could organise a kite festival, or design posters and art work that acknowledge and promote Matarikito for display around the school. Another possibility could be drama performances that explore some of the stories and themes associated with Matariki. ==Matariki and your community==
Many communities run festivals and events to celebrate Matariki. Find out what’s happening in your community. Local newspapers, information centres and libraries are good places to start. ==Storyboarding Matariki==
There are a number of Maori legends associated with Matariki. Present one of these legends as an illustrated story. Your presentation should be no bigger than A3.
Matariki – a growing tradition
The Matariki formation
In recent years there has been an upsurge of awareness among New Zealanders of the place of reo Māori language in both the history and future of Aotearoa. This awareness is part of a process that helps us to be increasingly conscious of our unique cultural identity.
The next step is an appreciation of the wider cultural traditions of Māori and one of the most significant celebrations in the Māori calendar is Matariki – the indigenous, Aotearoa, New Year.
The renaissance of this ancient Māori celebration and its tradition is a chance for all New Zealanders to remind ourselves of the very special place we occupy in the world.
What is Matariki?
Matariki is a small but distinctive star cluster whose appearance in the north eastern pre-dawn sky in late May, early June marks the start of a new phase of life.
Although there are tribal differences regarding the timing, celebrations most often begin at the next new moon after Matariki has risen. As with similar ‘moveable feasts’ in the western calendar, such as Easter, the exact timing varies from year to year but usually occurs during the month of June.
In ancient times Matariki arrived at the end of the harvest and was therefore a time of plenty for our ancestors. The kumara and other root foods had been gathered. The migration of fish such as moki and korokoro also made Matariki a time of bountiful catches. Visitors were often showered with gifts of specially preserved eel, birds and other delicacies. Matariki was a time to share and present offerings to others.
Matariki can be translated in two ways – Mata Riki (Tiny eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God). Either way the eyes are thought to watch over the land and its people.
Matariki – new beginning
As well as marking the start of a new year, Matariki also signals other new beginnings. Traditionally Matariki was the time to plant trees, prepare the land for planting crops and renew associations with whānau, family and friends. The New Year is also a good time to reflect on your place in the world, to reawaken old skills or try out new ones and set new goals.
There are many things you could plan to do to mark Matariki in your own special way, some may be based on traditional Māori ways of celebrating and some could be things you have thought up for yourself.
For ideas to help you get started on making Matariki a new beginning for you, you can go to the Celebrating Matariki page.
Matariki around the world
The timing of Matariki’s rising and the particular Māori celebration is unique to Aotearoa. However, the Matariki cluster can be seen from many parts of the world where it is known by several other names including Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru and Messier 45. For some iwi, Puanga or Rigel is the star that signifies the beginning of the Māori New Year.
The time of the rising of the Pleiades has always been a major indicator of seasonal changes throughout the ancient world. Matariki is recognised widely in the pacific where it was an important astronomical sign to sailors both as a navigational aid and as a sign that the weather was safe for long voyages with the stormy season past.
Early Greek seamen knew them as the sailing stars and would only sail when the stars were visible at night. In Hawaii, the stars are known as the Makali’I and their appearance in October/November marked the start of the great Makahiki Festival dedicated to the god of rain and agriculture.
The Japanese call Matariki Subaru, which has become well known due to its use by the car maker. The meaning of Subaru is generally thought to be united or getting together.
Some cultures believed that a great ancient cataclysm occurred when the Pleiades were overhead at midnight, such as the great biblical flood or the sinking of Atlantis. In both ancient Greece and Mexico, several temples were lines up with the rising and setting of Matariki.
http://cosmodome.co.nz/Matariki.html
Te Papa 2014 resource
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/education/onlineresources/matariki/Pages/overview.aspx
Wicked Matariki
http://www.wicked.org.nz/Themes/Themes-gallery/Matariki
Official Website
http://www.matarikievents.co.nz/
Video explaining Matariki - very good in 3 parts
http://www.matarikievents.co.nz/uploads/video1.html
Journal Surf Links
Kites...
Really cool article- Harko Brown is awesome!
School journal 2.3.03
Matariki Search
Matariki teaching activities
Media gallery
Measuring time
Matariki: The Maori New Year
Refer to the material on Matariki available from Te Ara to help you complete these activities.Celebrating Matariki
At the beginning of the 21st century Matariki celebrations were revived. Festivals organised to celebrate Matariki have grown in size: a Hawke’s Bay festival attracted 500 people in 2000. Three years later 15,000 people came. Te Rangi Huata, who helped organise these festivals in Hastings, believes that Matariki is becoming more popular because it celebrates Maori culture and in doing so brings together all New Zealanders. He compares it to the American holiday of Thanksgiving or Halloween ‘except it’s a celebration of the Maori culture here in (Aotearoa) New Zealand. It’s New Zealand's Thanksgiving.’The increasing popularity of Matariki has led some to suggest that it should replace Queen's Birthday as a public holiday. What do you think?
Imagine you are an adviser for the Department of Labour. This government department is responsible for administering the Holidays Act 2003. You have been asked to write a paper for the minister of labour and the prime minister. They will use this paper to give Cabinet information to help it discuss the benefits and disadvantages of replacing the existing public holiday of Queen’s Birthday with a day to celebrate Matariki.
1. Your task is to: a. Outline at least three advantages for New Zealand if the existing public holiday of Queen’s Birthday was replaced with a day to celebrate Matariki. You must explain why you believe this decision would be of benefit to New Zealand. For instance:
One advantage is that a public holiday to celebrate Matariki would be an acknowledgement of New Zealand’s first settlers.
b. Outline at least three disadvantages for New Zealand if the Queen’s Birthday holiday was replaced by Matariki. You must explain to the ministers why you believe this decision would be bad for New Zealand. For instance:
Other ethnic groups in New Zealand might demand that their New Year should also become a public holiday, such as Chinese New Year. Where will it stop?
c. In no more than 150 words, you must advise your ministers which argument to support and the reasons why you believe this action should be taken, i.e. to replace Queen’s Birthday with Matariki or not. They will be expecting you to give them answers to some possibly tricky questions raised by those who might disagree, so consider this in your final advice.
2. Alternatively: You could use the issue as a topic for an editorial that might appear in your local newspaper.
It is the start of Matariki and your newspaper is presenting a feature looking back at the history of the Maori New Year and its place in our national calendar. Write an editorial, of no more than 200 words, expressing your views on whether or not the time has come to replace the Queen’s Birthday public holiday with Matariki. Consider issues like the general history of these two events and whether it is now time to develop something new to move New Zealand through the 21st century. Or is it more important to retain traditional links with our past?
Have a look at some examples of editorials to get a sense of the style of writing.
These can be read out to the rest of the class or published as a class booklet that all can read. If your school has a school-wide focus for Matariki, a selection of these arguments could be presented at a school or syndicate assembly.
3. Better yet, try a class debate. You could consider this as a class debate with teams of three debating the pros and cons of the idea. Normal debating rules apply. Small groups could help prepare arguments that are then presented by selected speakers to ensure all can be involved. ==A school-wide celebration of Matariki==
You and your classmates could organise a school-wide celebration of Matariki. As a class you could brainstorm ideas for activities the school could participate in. For instance, you could organise a kite festival, or design posters and art work that acknowledge and promote Matarikito for display around the school. Another possibility could be drama performances that explore some of the stories and themes associated with Matariki. ==Matariki and your community==
Many communities run festivals and events to celebrate Matariki. Find out what’s happening in your community. Local newspapers, information centres and libraries are good places to start. ==Storyboarding Matariki==
There are a number of Maori legends associated with Matariki. Present one of these legends as an illustrated story. Your presentation should be no bigger than A3.
Matariki – a growing tradition
In recent years there has been an upsurge of awareness among New Zealanders of the place of reo Māori language in both the history and future of Aotearoa. This awareness is part of a process that helps us to be increasingly conscious of our unique cultural identity.
The next step is an appreciation of the wider cultural traditions of Māori and one of the most significant celebrations in the Māori calendar is Matariki – the indigenous, Aotearoa, New Year.
The renaissance of this ancient Māori celebration and its tradition is a chance for all New Zealanders to remind ourselves of the very special place we occupy in the world.
What is Matariki?
Matariki is a small but distinctive star cluster whose appearance in the north eastern pre-dawn sky in late May, early June marks the start of a new phase of life.Although there are tribal differences regarding the timing, celebrations most often begin at the next new moon after Matariki has risen. As with similar ‘moveable feasts’ in the western calendar, such as Easter, the exact timing varies from year to year but usually occurs during the month of June.
In ancient times Matariki arrived at the end of the harvest and was therefore a time of plenty for our ancestors. The kumara and other root foods had been gathered. The migration of fish such as moki and korokoro also made Matariki a time of bountiful catches. Visitors were often showered with gifts of specially preserved eel, birds and other delicacies. Matariki was a time to share and present offerings to others.
Matariki can be translated in two ways – Mata Riki (Tiny eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God). Either way the eyes are thought to watch over the land and its people.
Matariki – new beginning
As well as marking the start of a new year, Matariki also signals other new beginnings. Traditionally Matariki was the time to plant trees, prepare the land for planting crops and renew associations with whānau, family and friends. The New Year is also a good time to reflect on your place in the world, to reawaken old skills or try out new ones and set new goals.There are many things you could plan to do to mark Matariki in your own special way, some may be based on traditional Māori ways of celebrating and some could be things you have thought up for yourself.
For ideas to help you get started on making Matariki a new beginning for you, you can go to the Celebrating Matariki page.
Matariki around the world
The timing of Matariki’s rising and the particular Māori celebration is unique to Aotearoa. However, the Matariki cluster can be seen from many parts of the world where it is known by several other names including Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru and Messier 45. For some iwi, Puanga or Rigel is the star that signifies the beginning of the Māori New Year.The time of the rising of the Pleiades has always been a major indicator of seasonal changes throughout the ancient world. Matariki is recognised widely in the pacific where it was an important astronomical sign to sailors both as a navigational aid and as a sign that the weather was safe for long voyages with the stormy season past.
Early Greek seamen knew them as the sailing stars and would only sail when the stars were visible at night. In Hawaii, the stars are known as the Makali’I and their appearance in October/November marked the start of the great Makahiki Festival dedicated to the god of rain and agriculture.
The Japanese call Matariki Subaru, which has become well known due to its use by the car maker. The meaning of Subaru is generally thought to be united or getting together.
Some cultures believed that a great ancient cataclysm occurred when the Pleiades were overhead at midnight, such as the great biblical flood or the sinking of Atlantis. In both ancient Greece and Mexico, several temples were lines up with the rising and setting of Matariki.